Carborundum Universal Limited (CUMI) was founded in 1954 as a tripartite collaboration between the Murugappa Group, Carborundum Inc, USA, and the Universal Grinding Wheel Co Ltd, UK.
Carborundum Universal
Carborundum Universal is a $ 380 million sales company in the space of Abrasives, Electrominerals and Ceramics. CUMI pioneered the manufacture of coated and bonded abrasives in India, besides super refractories, electro minerals, industrial ceramics and ceramic fibres. In sync with the global vision, CUMI is expanding its product spread. The Company makes over 20,000 varieties of products manufactured at 25 locations across India, Russia, South Africa, Australia, China, Thailand and Canada. CUMI exports its products to 43 countries spread across the globe. All the manufacturing facilities of CUMI are ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 14001: 2015 certified for quality standards and environment-friendly manufacturing practices.
1938 – Murugappa Ajax Furniture Company
1954 – CUMI Established
Murugappa Ajax Furniture Company in established in 1938 and CUMI started its voyage in 1954 as a tripartite venture between Carborundum of the USA, Universal Grinding Wheel, UK and the Murugappa Group, India.
1964 – Brown Fused Alumina, Edappally, India
1965 – Bauxite Mining Bhatia, Gujarat, India
1965 – Bauxite Calcination Plant at Okha
The Electro Minerals Division of CUMI, also known as CUMI Minerals, started as a supportive division to its Captive units – Abrasives & Super Refractories. Its supreme manufacturing facilities are strategically located in the Indian states of Kerala and Gujrat, leveraging maximum advantages of raw material availability, power costs, closeness to customers, logistic facilities and most importantly, availability of a large well trained work force.
The journey started in the year 1964, when CUMI Minerals commissioning its Brown Fused Alumina Plant at Kalamassery, Cochin. The very next year, CUMI spread its productive presence across India with a different perspective and advance technology added with maximum facilities. In The year 1965 CUMI started The Bauxite Mines and Calcination plant in Okha, Gujarat. This secured the Raw Material needs for Brown Fused Alumina manufacturing and even today continues to suffice the Bauxite requirements of CUMI.
1984 – Silicon carbide plant, Koratty, India
1988 – Silicon carbide Micro grit plant, Koratty, India
CUMI Minerals set forth its journey into non-oxide minerals. The Kerala Village Koratty at Thrissur witnessed the flourishing of a novel production unit of Silicon Carbide in 1984. Quick to realize the vast applications of SiC micro grits CUMI commissioned The SiC Micro Grit Plant at Koratty in 1988.
1992 – Fused Alumina, Plant 2, Edappally
1994 – Mini-Hydel Plant at Maniyar
Knowledge in fusion helped the expansion into White Fused Alumina and Fused Mullite. In 1992, CUMI started White Fused Alumina Plant with a Tilt Furnace at Kalamassery.
Apart from Bauxite, power is a key input in the manufacturing of CUMI Minerals. To secure this, CUMI Started the Hydro Electric Plant in Kerala at Maniyar near Pathanamthitta in the year 1994. This was another landmark which was a great support to its energy intensive units and today caters to more than 30% of the power requirements of the captive power requirements.
2004- Modern Micro grit plant, Koratty, India
2006 – AzureS (Sol-Gel) plant
Micro Grit Plant in Koratty was modernized in 2004 to enhance quality controls and product deliverables. Our most promising plant, the AzureS (Sol-Gel) Plant was commissioned in 2006 at Kalamassery. This plant today competes at a global level with leading players as a preferred product for both Bonded & Coated applications.
2007 – VAW, Russia
Global Expansion of EMD came about with the acquisition of the Russian Unit, Volzhsky Abrasive Works in 2007. VAW is the 2nd largest manufacturer of SiC in the world and this put CUMI in the global arena of mineral players. CUMI then made its second global acquisition into the strategic materials of Zirconia with the acquisition of Foskor, Zirconia in South Africa in 2008. With this, CUMI added the Calcia Stabilised Zirconia & Monoclinic Zirconia products to widen its offering to the refractory market. 2008 was one another remarkable year which witnessed the initiation of the Treatments Plant at Kalamassery. CUMI Minerals today offers a wide variety of treated grains including – heat treated, blue fired, Red oxide or CC, High Temperature Ceramic Coating, Silane & also Chemical Coatings.
2008 – Acquisition of Foskor Zirconia, South Africa
2008 – Heat Treatment Plant, Edappally, India
2010 – Microgrit (SEZ) at Kochi
2013 – Alumina Zirconia plant, Edappally
To meet the demand of micro products Microgrit plant at Kochi has been started in 2010. This plant support the export volume of micro ranges.
In 2013 CUMI started the Alumina Zirconia Plant at Kalamssery. A dedicated work force helped develop the entire manufacturing process from scratch that includes developing product compositions and specialized equipments that can sustain the rigorously demanding zirconia production processes. The plant today serves its produce to various abrasive, refractory and other wear resistance applications across the world.
2016 – Heat Treatment Plant Expansion, Edappally, India
To meet the demand of micro products Microgrit plant at Kochi has been started in 2010. This plant support the export volume of micro ranges.
In 2013 CUMI started the Alumina Zirconia Plant at Kalamssery. A dedicated work force helped develop the entire manufacturing process from scratch that includes developing product compositions and specialized equipments that can sustain the rigorously demanding zirconia production processes. The plant today serves its produce to various abrasive, refractory and other wear resistance applications across the world.
2017 – BFA Plant Expansion, Edappally, India
2017 – Bubble Zirconia Plant, Edappally, India
